Quiet is the New Loud
by Third Runner
Summary: Mihashi is shocked when Abe-kun shows up at his doorstep, needing somewhere to stay. His parents kicked him out, he says - but why? What could Abe-kun possibly have done that was so bad?


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Okiku Furikabutte. I'm just having fun with them. :)

Quiet is the New Loud.

It was supposed to be just another ordinary Thursday evening. Stay awake after dinner, long enough to do some homework, then fall into bed. That was the plan, anyway. But then, the phone rang.

Mihashi Ren – twitchy, skinny, small for his age – didn't even think of answering it. If anyone from the team had been calling, they'd be calling on his mobile. It would be one of Mom's friends. Or maybe even his grandparents, wanting to talk to Dad. Dad, who was currently going over Ren's English assignment with a red ball-pen tucked into one corner of his mouth, chewing the pen-cap distractedly.

"Abe-san?" Mom, cradling the cordless phone against her ear, sank down into the couch. Settling in for the long haul. "No, we're all at home, why…"

So it was Abe-kun's mom, huh. Probably just calling to arrange meals for the upcoming weekend practice. Ren allowed himself to drift off for a second, to think about practice. About the sound of his fastball striking Abe-kun's mitt. A good sound.

"What? Abe-san, slow down, please!"

Ren whipped his head around. He vaguely noticed Dad doing the same. Something in his mother's tone had both of them spooked. "Honey, what –" Dad began, while Mom held one hand up to stop him. Digging around in the pen-jar for a pen that worked with her free hand, phone tucked under her chin.

Ren stood up. Suddenly light-headed. Fear was making his stomach twist. Something was definitely wrong here. Had Abe-kun hurt himself again?

Just then, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Ren shouted, and ran out into the hallway. Back home, he didn't stutter at all. Not when it was just the three of them.

Off with the safety-chain first, then twist the lock around. Take a step backward, because the door opened inwards. "Good evening," Ren said politely, by rote, like he'd been taught to say since he was little. He said it before he could even see who was on the other side. But once he had the door all the way open, Ren froze in shock. "A-A-Abe-kun," he managed, then he firmly shut his mouth.

"Ren." It was still weird, hearing Abe-kun call him by his first name, but that didn't throw him as much as how Abe-kun was staring down at the door mat. "I'm sorry to show up this late. But I don't know where anybody else lives." Normally, Abe-kun would give you unflinching eye contact. "Well, except for Tajima, but…" Abe-kun was wearing sweats that didn't match up – grey pants, black sweater – and had his gym bag slung over one shoulder. Distractedly, Ren noticed that the bag was bulging. "Do you think…" Abe-kun finally looked up, and the look on his face made Ren take a step back. "Do you think I could stay here tonight?"

"S-sure," Ren managed, and tried to make it look like he'd just stepped back to make room for Abe-kun. "C-come on in, I'll t-talk to my parents!" He pulled the bag out of Abe-kun's hands, staggering a little. So heavy! But he'd better take it – Abe-kun's shoes and gear would probably be inside, right? And even if Abe-kun suddenly got second thoughts about staying here, he wouldn't want to leave without those. Something was obviously very wrong, but Ren couldn't just ask. No way. That would be… presuming too much.

"Mom, Dad," Ren yelled, running back into the living room with Abe-kun's bag pressed against his chest. "Abe-kun's here! Can he spend the night?"

Mom looked up from her purse, where she'd been digging for the car keys, and let out a big breath. "Abe-san, did you hear that," she says, pulling the cordless phone out from under her chin. "He just turned up here!"

"Of course he can stay," Dad said, with that shy, warm smile of his. "You haven't had a sleepover in years, have you, Ren," he added, making it sound like this wasn't a big deal at all. Like Abe-kun's mother wasn't panicking on the other end of the phone. "On one condition, though." Dad held his hand out, without actually turning around, and Mom put the phone in it. The rightness of that, of how his mom just knew what his dad wanted, and how his dad relied on her to do exactly that… Seeing it reminded Ren of pitching with Abe-kun. Some things just felt _right_ , and that also felt… right. "You need to talk to your mother," Dad was saying, tucking one arm around Ren as he reached past him. Holding the phone out.

"Yes, sir." Abe-kun nodded, his face unreadable. It was the expression he'd wear in front of adults, or right before a match. "Thank you, Mihashi-san," he said, taking the phone from Dad's hand. So proper. But Ren couldn't help but notice how Abe-kun closed his eyes for just a second, like he was taking a time-out. Then he raised the phone to his ear and said, "Yes?"

Dad tugged Ren back towards the dining-table. To give Abe-kun some space; that much was obvious. And Mom joined them there, sliding an arm around each of them, resting her chin on Dad's shoulder. She was still holding her car keys in the hand that went around Ren's waist. Normally, he'd be a bit embarrassed if someone from school saw his parents acting like this, unless maybe it was Yuu-kun. But now, Ren was more concerned with other things. Like how he'd only just noticed that Abe-kun was wearing one grey sock, and one white. And that Abe-kun had his sweater on inside-out. This didn't fit with the Abe-kun Ren was used to at all. He lowered Abe-kun's bag to the floor. Let it rest against his legs, one hand still holding on to the fabric. The thought of Abe-kun leaving was actually starting to scare him.

"It can't be helped, I guess," Abe-kun was saying, responding to something on the other end. "Well, you've still got Shun," he went on, after a pause, in the sort of tone you'd use to talk about the weather. "He was always your favourite anyway."

Mom made a small noise then, like the squeak of a mouse. And out of the corner of his eye, Ren could see Dad shaking his head, very slightly. Ren clenched his hand along his side, wondering whose hand would be the coldest right now. If Abe-kun would even let him hold his hand to find out.

"Mihashi-san, my mother would like to speak to you again." Abe-kun's arm was only shaking a little bit, as he held the phone out for Mom to take. "I'm very sorry for showing up so suddenly," he added, and bowed to both of Ren's parents in turn. Ren didn't think it was because his mom had told him to, either.

"Let's take this stuff upstairs," Ren said, looping his arm through the bag straps and bringing it up to rest on his right shoulder.

Something seemed to flare up inside Abe-kun then, a little bit of his old self shining in his eyes, as he yanked his bag out of Ren's hand. "Don't strain your shoulder," he snapped, tucking the bag under his arm. "What would we do if you got injured?" Then he stopped, faltering, looking off to one side. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap." Everything about his pose screamed wrong, wrong, wrong.

"You want the guest room, or a futon in Ren's room," Dad was saying, while Mom said, "No, no, I'll call half of them for you. That saves time, right?"

"Y-you'll stay in m-my room, w-won't you, Abe-kun," Ren said, and it didn't even matter that he was stuttering in front of his parents.

Abe-kun nodded. "Just use my name, already," he muttered, but Ren didn't dare.

He should have asked for the guest room. Not that sharing a room with Mihashi was weird, exactly – they'd done it before, that time the team went to Osaka. But it meant that Takaya couldn't relax, that he'd need to keep his emotions reined in. Even now, when the anger had seeped out of him, and exhaustion had set in. Just the thought of how much he'd freak Mihashi out if he actually started bawling… Why, it was almost funny. Mihashi – it was still weird to think of him as "Ren" – was worried enough already, that much was clear.

"Lucky for me your room is so big," Takaya said, just to say something. Well, the Mihashis' entire house was big – way too big for a family of three, really.

"Oh, everything's big here," Mihashi replied distractedly, stuffing a spare pillow into a pillowcase. Not stuttering at all, for once. "It's all part of the Big Apology."

That was so weird, even for Mihashi, that Takaya stopped unpacking his school uniforms and looked up at him. "The Big Apology? What do you mean?"

"Uh!" Mihashi gave a big twitch, and dropped the pillow on the floor. Damn, had Takaya been too loud, just now? "I-it's just s-something my dad says."

Oh great, and now the stutter was back, too? Takaya closed his eyes, drew a deep breath. Just wait, let Mihashi talk. Don't get annoyed. He was suddenly reminded of something Tajima had said once, when the three of them had been trying to study downstairs. Takaya had only been teasing Mihashi, and Tajima had said something about how it wasn't just his fault when Mihashi had burst into tears. Not _just_ his fault, but maybe half his fault? Takaya had only felt a little jealous, that was all. Because Mihashi could use Tajima's first name so effortlessly. Because Tajima came over so often, he had his own cup here.

As the silence stretched out between them, Mihashi seemed to relax. It struck Takaya suddenly, how quiet Mihashi's little family was. Seeing the three of them there in the living room, leaning into each other like that, like trees all blowing in the same direction. That had been equal parts painful and fascinating. His own family had never been like that; his own family was loud.

"Because my parents eloped," Mihashi suddenly said. "My dad's parents didn't speak to him at all. For years and years. Then my grandmother got sick, and my grandfather called my dad, and we went to see them. And after my grandmother got better, my grandfather bought us this house."

"So you didn't meet your grandparents before then?" Abe moved on to his baseball uniform, and all his spare black T-shirts. He'd packed them all, every black T-shirt he owned. No telling when he'd be able to go back home. No, wait. Not home anymore. "How old were you?"

"Um… ten? I think? I'd met my uncle and them before, though! My cousin Ruri's dad," Mihashi added, as if Takaya might not understand. "They were never in a feud with Dad, so they used to come see us, on holidays and stuff. So me going to Gunma for middle school, that was also part of the Big Apology. Because Dad said an apology has to go both ways."

Takaya nodded, and filed that bit of information away for further digestion. Talk about good intentions backfiring. He couldn't help but wonder, though. What Mihashi might have been like, if he'd never been sent to Gunma. He probably wouldn't be this twitchy, or blame himself for every little thing that went wrong. Probably wouldn't have that stutter, either. Maybe he'd have been one of those cool, quietly confident types instead.

"Wow, Abe-kun, you sure fit a lot in there, huh?"

Mihashi's innocent comment made Takaya jerk his head up, and square his shoulders defensively. "I just didn't know when I'd be able to go back there," he said, very deliberately not using the word "home". He'd actually done a pretty good job of packing, especially since he'd been in such a hurry. Textbooks on the bottom, then his school bag with all his notebooks, calculator and pencil case. Followed by school shoes and baseball shoes, uniforms, socks and underpants. "I think I forgot my toothbrush, though," he muttered, annoyed with himself. Of course, he'd had to forget _something_.

"Oh, that's not a problem!" Takaya looked up, to see that Mihashi was smiling. "We have lots of spares! Toothbrushes, dental floss, Dad always stocks up on stuff like that. It drives Mom crazy! I'll go downstairs and get you one!"

"Thanks," Takaya said, as Mihashi nimbly jumped over his pile of uniforms and started running down the stairs. The sound of running stopped, then started again, and suddenly Mihashi was leaning in through the open door, panting. Takaya hadn't even finished putting his shoes back in his bag, let alone all the clothes.

"Abe-kun, I forgot to ask! Which colour do you want?"

Call me Takaya, he wanted to say. Instead, he said, "I don't mind. Whatever is fine."

Mihashi blinked. "But, you must have a favourite colour, right? Everyone has a favourite colour!"

Takaya could feel himself start to get annoyed. Over a toothbrush! Of all the stupid things… "Which colour is yours, then," he said, forcing himself to talk slowly. "Just pick a different colour from that, so we won't mix them up." Perfectly logical, yet it seemed to throw Mihashi for a loop.

"O-okay," he said, blinking, then turned on his heel and ran back downstairs.

The next morning, Ren and Abe-kun rode to school together on their bikes. Ren hadn't even realized, last night, that Abe-kun had brought his bike along. Abe-kun had just hidden the bike under the bushes in the front yard, and of course it had still been there this morning.

Ren still hadn't worked up the nerve to ask. Why Abe-kun had turned up like that, what had happened between him and his parents. He'd overheard Mom and Dad whispering, when he went downstairs to find Abe-kun a toothbrush. Abe-kun's mother had wanted to come over and talk, but Abe-kun had asked her not to. It must really have been something bad, if –

"Ren!"

He put the brakes on, hopped off the bike. "Yuu-kun," he yelled back, waving as Tajima-kun came pedalling towards them. "Good morning! Abe-kun slept over," he added, since Tajima-kun would know that Abe-kun normally arrived from the opposite direction.

Abe-kun muttered something. Something that might have been "Takaya".

"Eh? A sleepover?" Tajima-kun jumped off his own bike, grinning. "Man, I feel left out now! Invite me next time, okay?"

"Um, sure, but…" Ren glanced over at Abe-kun, unsure of how much he could say. "But he might be staying with us for a while, so…"

"Some stuff happened," Abe-kun said, his face perfectly blank, "And my parents kicked me out. That's all."

For once, it seemed, Tajima-kun didn't know what to say. As for Ren, he kept opening and closing his mouth, but no words were coming out. The weight of that, "My parents kicked me out", and Abe-kun was making it sound like it didn't mean anything at all to him. Ren suddenly felt scared again, like he had last night.

He let his bike drop in the dirt. It startled Abe-kun, distracted him enough that Ren could grab his hand off the handlebar. To his relief, Abe-kun's hand was cold and clammy.

"Mihashi, what…" Abe-kun began, but his voice trailed off.

"D-don't p-pretend like it's nothing," Ren told him, so worried he was almost angry. "Not when your hand's even c-colder than mine!"

Abe-kun abruptly snatched his hand back. "There's nothing you can do about it anyway," he said, and busied himself adjusting the strap of his school bag, swapping it to his other shoulder. "Come on, we don't want to be late for morning practice."

Morning practice was… not great. Mihashi kept over-extending, even though he must know perfectly well he could hurt himself like that. Takaya had told him so himself, more than a hundred times! It was all Takaya could do not to crack his knuckles into Mihashi's head. And the snappier he got, the more twitchy and tearful Mihashi got. Until Izumi, of all people, called for a time-out and asked Takaya if he could have a word.

"What is it," Takaya said, pulling his catcher's helmet off and tucking it under one arm.

"I need to tell you something," Izumi replied, with a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Mihashi can do the most amazing thing, did you know that? Can you guess what it might be?"

Sensing a trap, Takaya tried to stall. "I'm not sure what you mean," he said, locking eyes with Izumi.

"Mihashi can tie his own shoelaces," Izumi said, like this was some kind of miracle. "This one time, I even saw him tie his shoelaces while he was chewing gum. Amazing, right?" By then, Izumi's voice was heavy with sarcasm, and the smile had disappeared from his face completely.

"What are you trying to say?" Takaya felt anger start to simmer in his belly, hot and sour.

"I'm telling you to lay off him," Izumi hissed, taking one step closer to Takaya. "Mihashi can manage just fine if you're not picking apart everything he does!"

Deep down, Takaya knew Izumi was right – but that only made him angrier. For once, he couldn't think of a reply though, nothing at all, so he just gave Izumi's shoulder a good shove as he walked past him, back to the field. Right then, he was so pissed, he didn't even care if anybody saw it.

By lunch-time, rumours were flying all over school. Takaya could feel it, how people were whispering behind his back. How they'd shut up quickly, as soon as he came too close. Damn, it seemed his mom really had called everybody's parents. It didn't fit with who the rest of the team thought he was – right? For all he knew, Mom had been saying he'd run away from home, or something like that. She'd been crying on the phone last night, but what could he do about that? Let her cry. If she'd really cared, she wouldn't have just let him walk out of the house.

Before she left for work that morning, Mihashi's mom had left a bento for each of them on the kitchen table. Takaya, who'd normally have his lunch with the other team members in class seven, wound up eating it under the stairs of the sports building instead.

Afternoon practice started with group meditation, as always. Everyone sitting in a circle, hand in hand, eyes closed, waiting for Shiga-sensei to speak. As they were sitting down, Ren had found himself a good spot – Tajima-kun on one side, Abe-kun on the other. At the last minute, though, Izumi-kun had squeezed in between Abe-kun and Ren, muttering a quiet "Excuse me". Normally this wouldn't have mattered at all, Izumi-kun was really nice and Ren liked him a lot. But, he would have liked to see if Abe-kun's hand had warmed up by now – he had a really bad feeling it wouldn't have.

"Before we begin our practice," Shiga-sensei said, "It's come to my attention that there are rumours circulating on this team, and that's no good. We need to be kind," Shiga-sensei looked over his glasses in Ren's general direction, and Izumi-kun dropped his gaze to the ground, "And honest with one another." This time, the teacher looked straight at Abe-kun, so Ren did, too.

Abe-kun didn't flinch or look away. "Sensei," he said, and his voice was loud, almost like normal, "If you say I should tell everyone what happened, I will. And if…" Abe-kun faltered, closing his eyes for just a second, "If, when I'm done, you all decide you don't want me to be vice-captain anymore, then I'm prepared to step down."

Ren felt himself go cold all over. What could Abe-kun possibly have done that was so bad? Still, he reminded himself, Abe-kun had only offered to step down as vice-captain, not as catcher. He hadn't said he'd leave the team. That was something.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary." Sitting between Shino'oka and Shiga-sensei, Coach Momoe gave Abe-kun a little nod. "But it would be best if you tell us all what's been going on."

"All right." A hush fell over the group, because who wasn't curious, right? Even Ren had to admit to himself that he was desperate to know. He'd rather have heard it from Abe-kun last night, of course, but… "Last night, we'd had dinner," Abe-kun said, with a distant look on his face. "My little brother had gone upstairs to bed. I was doing my homework in the kitchen. My dad was there, too, having a drink. He said…" Abe-kun looked away for a second, and Ren felt a fresh stab of worry in his chest. "Look, I don't want to drag anyone's name through the mud, so… there's this girl I know, all right? And my dad started talking about this girl. Saying how he'd seen us together and he thought she might like me. That I might be in with a chance there."

Did Abe-kun even realise how hard his body was shaking? You could see it clearly, even if you weren't sitting next to him. Sakaeguchi-kun, who was sitting on Abe-kun's right, looked like he wanted nothing more than to stop Abe-kun from saying anything else. Ren felt that way too; he wanted to shout, That's enough! You don't have to tell us if you don't want to! But for some reason, he couldn't say anything at all.

"I tried to change the subject," Abe-kun went on, "But he just wouldn't drop it, you know? He kept asking me why I wouldn't want to date a cute girl like that. So finally, I just told him. I told him I've never been interested in girls. And that's the truth. I'm only attracted to guys."

Ren let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Izumi-kun let go of Abe-kun's hand, like it was red-hot and burning him. Ren couldn't look at Abe-kun, so he looked at Coach Momoe instead. Her mouth was wide open – whatever she'd been expecting to hear, she definitely hadn't expected this.

In the silence that followed, Izumi-kun slowly held out his hand again, palm up. "Takaya," he said, very deliberately calling Abe-kun by his first name, "I'm sorry. That wasn't nice."

"It's fine," Abe-kun said, though he sounded anything _but_ fine. Still, he put his hand back in Izumi-kun's hand, closing up the gap in the circle. What kind of effort did it take, to stay that calm? "Anyway. By that time my mom had come in there, because I guess we were shouting. And she started crying. And my dad told me I wasn't welcome to stay under his roof, if I was going to _be like that_ , so…" Abe-kun shrugged. "So I packed my stuff and went to Mihashi's place. And if you guys don't want me to be vice-captain anymore…" Suddenly, there was a catch in Abe-kun's voice. "I mean, if you don't want me on the team anymore, then…"

Ren realised that his cheeks were wet. When had he started crying? "A-Abe-kun can't quit the team," he yelled, swallowing down his panic as best he could. What kind of team would they have, without Abe-kun? And without his family, what did Abe-kun have _except_ the team?

"Does anyone here think the team would benefit," Hanai-kun said, squaring his shoulders, "If Abe-kun stepped down, or quit altogether?"

"No!" Ren shouted, and on either side of him, Tajima-kun and Izumi-kun shouted "No", right at the same time.

"Definitely not," Sakaeguchi-kun said, shaking his head firmly. "Who Abe-kun likes is his own business. Right?"

"Right," the other boys chorused, and Ren felt the fear starting to seep out of him.

"Good," Coach Momoe said firmly, "Then let's consider that all over and done with! Shiga-sensei, if you don't mind leading us through the usual meditation?"

"Of course," Shiga-sensei said. The teacher was doing his best to look composed, but Ren could see that he was just as rattled as the rest of them. And Shino'oka, squeezed in between Coach Momoe and Mizutani-kun, was pale as a ghost.

Ren just couldn't bear the thought of everyone acting weird around Abe-kun now. So he did his best to pretend he wasn't interrupting a teacher, and said, "Izumi-kun! Is Abe-kun's hand all cold and clammy?"

"Like a dead fish," Izumi-kun replied, perfectly straight-faced.

"Oy!" Abe-kun snatched his hand back, sounding almost like his old self. "Why don't you try telling everyone about your stupid swimsuit fantasies, with the shrine maidens in Lake Biwa, or whatever! See how warm your hand feels then!"

Abe-kun and Izumi-kun glared at each other for a moment, and Ren almost put his hand on Izumi-kun's arm, to try and calm him down. Only then, Izumi-kun snorted, and Abe-kun's lip twitched, and suddenly, both of them were laughing.

"No wonder you've been such a shouty asshole," Izumi-kun snickered, "If you've been dealing with that all on your own!"

"Izumi-kun, you're too blunt for your own good," Hanai-kun chided, but he was laughing, too. Nishihiro-kun was laughing, and Oki-kun as well – everyone just seemed relieved that this awkward confession was over.

If they were all laughing, that had to be a good thing. Right? Ren glanced over at Tajima-kun, and got a reassuring smile back.

"Boys," Shiga-sensei said firmly. "We only have a few hours of daylight left. Close your eyes, clear your minds…"

Afternoon practice did the trick. That happy exhaustion, the satisfaction of knowing he'd given it his all. That his body was strong, and his old injury didn't bother him anymore. And the feeling that his team-mates were behind him, in spite of everything.

Takaya glanced over at Mihashi, changing back into his school uniform next to him in the bullpen. Glanced away quickly, in case anyone started getting ideas. No point in making the others uncomfortable. Or making them wonder if he'd been secretly checking them out all this time. He couldn't help but notice how Hanai, who'd sometimes come over for a chat while they got changed, was changing in the far corner of the bullpen today. Or how Mizutani had changed as soon as practice was done, with the speed of lightening, and done grounds maintenance in his regular uniform. It would've been weirder if they _hadn't_ found it weird, right? Mihashi was the only one who hadn't seemed uncomfortable at all – he'd been more freaked about Takaya quitting the team, hadn't he? Freaked enough that he'd started crying – Takaya was always making Mihashi cry. Or twitch, or fret, or stutter. Or drop things. The list went on and on. Still. Mihashi couldn't be _that_ scared of him, if they were getting changed right next to each other.

Grounds maintenance was done, the school week was done. Of course, they still had weekend practice and homework for Monday, but to Takaya, it felt like freedom. Not having a family to go home to anymore… even that was a kind of freedom, wasn't it? Not necessarily a good kind of freedom, but then… Nothing good ever came from feeling sorry for himself.

"Ren," Tajima was shouting, as he jogged across the field towards the bullpen, pulling his shirt over his head as he ran. "Can I come over for homework after dinner?"

"Sure! Mom made lots of curry, though! You can just have dinner with Abe-kun and me, if you like."

"Really? That's great!"

Damn it, why couldn't Mihashi take that relaxed tone with _him_? He hardly stuttered at all, when he talked to Tajima. Maybe Takaya did really make Mihashi uncomfortable – maybe that was why he'd invited Tajima over?

Takaya busied himself looking anywhere but at those two. Mizutani was helping Shino'oka lock up the equipment, dancing around her like a puppy, while Shino'oka dutifully laughed at something he'd said. The manager hadn't said a word to Takaya since the start of practice, and he had a feeling she knew. That it was _her_ his dad had been talking about. What other girls did Takaya know, right? He couldn't even remember the names of the cheer-girls, and it wasn't like he'd ever _met_ anyone's sisters, except for Sakaeguchi's… It must have been pretty obvious to everyone. That was probably why Mizutani was trying so hard to cheer Shino'oka up. Takaya knew he ought to go over and apologise to her, but he just couldn't. Not now.

"Abe-kun!" He turned around, to find Nishihiro grinning at him shyly, school bag slung over one shoulder. "When you feel like you've stayed too long with the Mihashi's, you can come stay with my family for a while. We have lots of manga," he added, like that was supposed to sweeten the deal.

"Nishihiro…" Takaya couldn't quite think of what to say. It was true, he'd been worried about overstaying his welcome at Mihashi's house, but he'd thought he had nowhere else to go…

"How about you do a week at Mihashi's," Sakaeguchi was saying, standing on one leg while he slipped first one shoe on, then the other. "Then a week at Nishihiro's, and a week at my place? Nobody's parents would mind too much if it's just a week, right?" Sakaeguchi's smile was warm, like Takaya didn't weird him out at all. "We can just pass you around like a hot potato," he added, giving Takaya a little nudge to show that he was joking.

"Even if some of us just don't have space at home, it should work. There'd be enough of a gap that the rest of our families wouldn't mind it, once their turn rolled around again," Nishihiro was saying, with that shy smile of his. This was all his idea, wasn't it? "That should sort you out at least until the end of the school year – right?"

"Thanks," Takaya said, and somehow managed not to choke. "I'd… That's… really kind."

"It's a great idea," Tajima said, slapping Nishihiro on the back. "Abe-kun can definitely stay at ours, one more won't make a difference at all! Now let's go have curry!"

As soon as they stepped through the front door of his house, it was back to first names, to Ren and Yuu-kun. This was what being best friends was like, wasn't it? Just a year ago, Ren would never even have dreamed that he'd have a best friend again, let alone one that was as kind and as cool as Yuu-kun. Or that someone like Abe-kun would even want to hang out with someone like him.

Ren busied himself heating the curry up on the stove, while Yuu-kun put on the kettle to make tea, and Abe-kun started to set the table. Ren left the curry simmering, and went over to open the cupboard where they kept the cups.

"This is Yuu-kun's cup," he said, taking it out and putting it down on the kitchen counter. "Here's mine, and… Th-this one's Abe-kun's, right?" Ren knew perfectly well he'd found the cup Abe-kun had picked, the last time he was here for homework. The green one with little plum blossoms around the edge. He'd even made sure Abe-kun got this cup at breakfast this morning, swapping out the blue one Mom had left out for him. Still, Ren felt like he had to ask.

"I don't really remember," Abe-kun said, but he took the cup anyway. He sounded like he didn't care at all, but Ren couldn't help but notice how tense Abe-kun's shoulders were. How they were practically up under his ears. "A cup's a cup, right?"

"I, I guess so," Ren replied, ducking his head and returning to the stove, to stir the curry.

Ren wasn't the only one who was starving, so for a while, the three of them ate in silence, as fast as they could. But finally, Yuu-kun pushed his plate towards the centre of the table.

"So, Takaya," Yuu-kun said, eyes shining, a big grin on his face. "There's a bunch of stuff I've been wanting to ask you. Would that be okay?"

Abe-kun, who was mopping up the last of his curry-sauce and rice with his spoon, looked up. He didn't exactly seem pleased at the idea. "Fine," he said curtly. "You get three questions."

"Whoa, that's just like you, Abe-kun," Yuu-kun said, unconsciously slipping back into polite speech. But still, he looked like he enjoyed the challenge. "I'm gonna have to think about this carefully." Yuu-kun absently started to chew on his own thumb. "Okay, I've got it! Question number one!"

"Fire away," Abe-kun muttered, pulling a hand through his fringe.

"When did you realise that, you know…"

"That I'm gay?" Hearing Abe-kun actually use that word out loud felt weird. It was one thing, hearing him say he wasn't into girls. But this was a much more direct way of saying it. "It's not like I can give you a specific date or anything like that. It was just… a gradual thing. But I guess I knew for sure by the time we played against Tousei."

"I see…" Yuu-kun seemed lost in thought for a moment, tapping his thumb against his bottom lip and staring off into space. "So," he said at last, "Question number two! That time we were all talking about our fantasies, and you said you liked girls with pale skin…?"

"I was just making that up," Abe-kun replied, matter-of-factly.

"Is that so," Yuu-kun said, looking thoughtfully over at Ren for some reason.

"I-I'm g-going to rinse the p-p-plates," Ren said, pushing his chair back. It scraped against the linoleum. He wanted to tell Yuu-kun to stop. But Abe-kun had said it was okay. So if Ren questioned it, he'd just make it look like he thought Abe-kun was weak. And then Abe-kun would get mad at him.

"I'll help," Abe-kun said, getting up as well. "It's the least I can do," he added, pulling Ren's plate out of his hand and carrying it over to the sink.

Suddenly, there was a buzzing sound. It made Ren jump, but it was only Abe-kun's phone, going off in his pocket. Abe-kun pulled it out, looked at it for a second, then put it face-down on the kitchen counter without answering it. "My mom," he said, by way of an explanation.

"So, Tajima," Abe-kun turned the tap on, and turned his back to Ren and Yuu-kun, "Let's get that last question over with, all right?"

"Okay," Yuu-kun said, smiling brightly. "Is there someone you like?"

Abe-kun made a choking sound, and Ren could see his ears turning bright red. "I… like someone who's older," Abe-kun muttered, before he started scrubbing curry sauce off Ren's plate.

Oh. Ren felt his stomach sink. Of course. Haruna-san. Who else could it be, right? Especially after Haruna-san had apologised for how he'd treated Abe-kun, back in the Seniors. Now that their grudge was over and done with, Abe-kun probably felt that he was free to like Haruna-san. Not that this was anybody's business but Abe-kun's. Sakaeguchi-kun had been right about that.

"Yuu-kun," Ren whispered fiercely, jerking his head in Abe-kun's direction. He wanted to say that this wasn't something Yuu-kun should be making fun of, but the only thing he could get out of his mouth was "Do… Fuh!" before his stutter just took over, and the best thing he could do then was just to close his mouth.

"Tofu," Abe-kun muttered, looking over his shoulder at Ren.

"You're right, Ren," Yuu-kun said, with that big, honest grin of his, "This isn't something I should make fun of, but I promise I wasn't! Okay? So don't be mad."

Confusion and irritation were fighting for space on Abe-kun's face. "How did you even begin to decipher that," he demanded, but all Yuu-kun did was shrug in response.

"Takaya, I won't repeat it to anyone," Yuu-kun said. "What you told us just now. And neither will Ren, right?"

Ren nodded as hard as he could. "Y-yes! I, I mean, no! I won't!"

"Exactly. This was just to satisfy my own curiosity, you know?"

"All right," Abe-kun said, and his shoulders did seem to sink a little.

"H-homework," Ren said, opening the dishwasher. "Okay?"

With Abe-kun helping them, Ren and Yuu-kun got through their homework much faster than normal. Abe-kun wasn't just smart, he was good at explaining stuff too, if you didn't annoy him too much with stupid questions. The only time he got annoyed with Ren was right after his phone had buzzed for the second time, but Ren didn't mind that at all. Once they were done, Yuu-kun said goodbye and got ready to cycle home, his school bag stuffed full of porn mags he'd previously lent to Ren.

"I'll bring you some more on Monday," Yuu-kun promised, waving his arm wildly before he hopped on his bike and disappeared down the road.

Ren and Abe-kun stood together in the open doorway for a moment, not talking. _Abe-kun must think that stuff's really gross,_ Ren thought, blushing. "Um, I-I don't actually read them," he confided, glancing over at Abe-kun. "I just sort of shuffle them around in the stack, before I give them back. I'm too young for that stuff," he went on, feeling like his mouth was running off on him. "I mean, I've never even kissed a girl, you know?"

Abe-kun snorted, and shook his head. "You know I'm seven months younger than you, right?" He looked like he was about to say something else, tease Ren a little, maybe. But then, his phone buzzed from inside the house, and the grin slipped right off Abe-kun's face.

"Ren, listen," Abe-kun said, tossing the words over his shoulder as he walked back into the kitchen, "Do you think your parents would mind if I moved down to the guest room for tonight?"

"But why?" Ren, tagging along behind him, was puzzled. "I thought you liked sleeping in my room?"

Abe-kun turned around. Looked at Ren for a minute, as if he were trying to puzzle something out. "So you don't feel weird about sharing a room with me, even though you know I like guys?"

Ren shook his head.

"Then why is it so hard for you to use my first name?"

Ren froze in mid-shake.

"I'm not mad," Abe-kun said, although he sounded a little bit mad. Maybe that was just Ren's imagination, though. Abe-kun did have a loud voice, after all, so sometimes he'd sound mad even if he wasn't. "I'm just trying to understand."

"Uh, uh…" Ren's gaze flickered across the room. Textbooks on the table, the tap on the kitchen sink. The three teacups on the counter, the sleeve of Abe-kun's black T-shirt. Toaster, rice cooker. How could he find the right words to explain this feeling? Like if he used Abe-kun's name, even in his head, it would be like crossing a line. Like he was getting ahead of himself – presuming too much, as Grandpa would have said.

"I was just wondering if…" Abe-kun bit his lip for a second, as if he, too was trying hard to fit the right words into the right place. "If you actually think of us as friends?"

Ren blinked. "Would that be okay," he asked, ducking his head a little.

Just for a second, Abe-kun made the weirdest face. Sort of scrunched up, like a shi tzu, except he was showing a lot of teeth. Then he pulled his hand through his fringe, tugging on it like he was trying to yank his own hair out. "Yes," Abe-kun said at last, breathing through his nostrils like a horse. "That would be okay. I'd like that."

"Oh. Right!" Ren smiled, relieved. And here he'd thought he'd gone and pissed Abe-kun off. "Thank you," he said, ducking his head again.

"So," Abe-kun said, folding his arms across his chest, "If you didn't think of us as friends before, then what…?" He left that question hanging in the air, looking at Ren expectantly.

"Um, it, it was m-more like…" Ren looked down at his hands, and started tapping his forefingers together. Just for something to do. "Like I was your fan?"

He looked up hopefully, to find that Abe-kun had covered his face with both hands.

"Please," Abe-kun said, and his voice sounded all weird, "Never say that again. I'd die of embarrassment. Okay?"

Abe-kun was acting so funny that Ren couldn't help but laugh. "Okay!"

On the kitchen counter, the phone buzzed, and this time the buzzing didn't stop. The vibrations were making it move across the counter, towards the sink. Without thinking, Ren crossed the room to pick it up. "Mom", the display said, and he wordlessly held it up to Abe-kun.

"I'm not answering that," Abe-kun told him firmly.

"B-but m-m-maybe it's something important," Ren said, biting his lip. In his hand, the phone kept right on buzzing. It was making his whole arm tingle. "I-I'll answer it, then!" And before Abe-kun could stop him, he'd swiped across the screen to the green receiver button. "H-hello, Abe-san," he said quickly, in case he'd hear something that was only meant for Abe-kun, "This is Mihashi Ren."

Takaya couldn't believe this guy. Answering his phone like that, after he'd specifically told him not to. He walked through the kitchen, into the living room, hands shoved into the pockets of his uniform pants. The hell if he was going to stay in there, listening to Mihashi make nice to his mom.

Takaya picked up the remote from the coffee table, wondering if it'd be weird if he turned the TV on. Back home, it was perfectly normal to have it on, even if you weren't really watching it, like background noise. Still, he hadn't seen Mihashi or his parents switch it on once. Deciding that it _would_ be weird, he put the remote back, more or less where he'd found it.

"Abe-kun."

Startled, Takaya jumped. Mihashi was standing right behind him, and his face looked even more worried than usual. Before he could say anything, Mihashi reached up to put his hands on Takaya's shoulders, and push him down into the sofa.

"Sit," Mihashi said, sinking down opposite him, one leg tucked under his butt. "Give me your hand."

"What's going on?" Something about Mihashi's behaviour, so weirdly serious all of a sudden, was starting to scare him a little bit. So Takaya held out his hand without protest, and Mihashi closed both of his own hands around it, like the covers of a book. His hands were a lot smaller and paler than Takaya's hands – almost like a girl's hands. And they were very warm.

"Abe-kun, your dad's in the hospital. Your mom's sending a taxi to pick us up, and – "

Whatever Mihashi said next, Takaya didn't hear it. White noise swelled in his head. He closed his eyes, tried to think. Nothing but white noise.

"Abe-kun!"

Takaya blinked. Realised he was standing up, and that Mihashi was still holding on to his hand. "What… happened," he said, and the words were like stones in his mouth.

"Your father had a heart attack. There's a taxi on its way to pick us up." Mihashi was saying all this without stuttering, Takaya realised. Like he'd never had a stutter at all. "I'm going to write a message for my parents. And you're going to go put your shoes on. All right?"

Takaya nodded. He felt weirdly numb. Like he should be panicking, except he couldn't. Couldn't feel anything at all. Walking out into the hallway was like wading through a swimming pool. Moving in slow motion. Three tries, just to get one shoelace tied.

"Hold still." Mihashi was there, all of a sudden, crouched in front of him. "I'll do the other one," he said. Tying Takaya's shoelaces for him, like he was a little kid or something. Like he'd used to do for Shun, back in the day.

"Let's go wait for the taxi outside," Mihashi was saying, slipping his left hand into Takaya's right. Such a warm little hand. "You go first, okay? I need to lock up."

"Okay," Takaya said. His own voice sounded flat. Dead. For some reason, he couldn't let go of Mihashi's hand now, but it turned out that didn't really matter. Mihashi could lock the door one-handed.

Abe-kun didn't say anything at all, during the ride to the hospital. It was up to Ren to talk to the driver. Lucky for them, the driver was really nice. He didn't need directions or anything, he didn't even need money. Abe-kun's mom had already paid in advance, over the phone. The whole way there, Abe-kun held on to Ren's hand. His grip didn't hurt at all, but it didn't loosen, either. Just as well, really – Ren could use that grip to pull Abe-kun along. Pull him out of the taxi, into the hospital lobby. Abe-kun's hand was so cold.

"Abe-san is in surgery," the receptionist told them, after Ren had given her their names. "Your mother's in the waiting room on the second floor. I'll get someone to take you there, all right?"

"All right," Abe-kun said, but there was no life in his voice at all.

While they rode the lift up to the second floor, Ren rubbed his thumb up and down the back of Abe-kun's hand. Just to rub some life into him, pull him back from wherever he'd disappeared off to. The nurse who was escorting them looked over at Ren and smiled. She was very pretty, and shorter than Abe-kun by half a head, which put her just about at Ren's eye-height.

"You're a good friend," the nurse told him, and Ren blushed and ducked his head.

Abe-kun's little brother came running out of the waiting room to meet them. Threw his arms around Abe-kun's waist and buried his face in his T-shirt. Abe-kun stroked his hair almost absently, the way you'd pet a cat. He was looking a little more alert now, though – like he was starting to come back to them.

"Why'd you leave," his little brother was saying – sobbing, really. What was his name, again? He was just a kid; no wonder this was all too much for him.

"It couldn't be helped," Abe-kun replied distantly, looking past his brother to the open door of the waiting room. His mother was standing there, face deathly pale against her black dress.

Ren realised suddenly that Abe-kun was wearing all black, too – black T-shirt, black uniform pants. It was almost like they were in mourning already. "Takaya," Abe-kun's mother said. Her voice was stretched thin, like she was about to cry but was forcing herself not to.

"Yes," Abe-kun said, raising his head to stare at his mother until she looked away first.

"Mihashi-kun," Abe-kun's mom said, visibly pulling herself together. She even tried to smile, but it was awful to look at. "Thank you so much for bringing him here."

"Don't mention it," Ren replied, trying for a shaky smile of his own. "Abe-kun, let's go sit in there, all right?" Abe-kun didn't respond, but he let Ren pull him inside the waiting room, so that didn't matter too much. Ren could tell that it scared his mother, how Abe-kun was suddenly so quiet.

The waiting room was just creepy. The furnishings were old, lots of sofas and chairs, all upholstered in matching orange stripes. At least they were the only ones in here, for all that it was a big, creepy room.

"Mihashi-san," Abe-kun's little brother said, very politely, just as Ren sat down next to Abe-kun on one of the ugly sofas. Shun! That was his name, wasn't it? "Why are you holding hands?"

"This is a meditation we do before practice," Ren explained, wondering if he was old enough to understand. "Shun-kun, right? Do you know what meditation is? It's something you do to help you concentrate."

"Oh," Shun said, looking like he didn't understand at all.

"When you're worried about something," Ren said, "Your hands get cold, don't they? This meditation's all about sharing your warmth when someone's cold. Your big brother's all cold now, so I'm giving him some of my warmth." He held out his free hand to Shun, smiling. "You want to try it, too?"

Shun nodded, biting his lip, and slipped his hand into Ren's. It was a little bit sticky, and very cold.

Plucking up his courage, Ren looked over at Abe-kun's mother and said, "Abe-san? Would you like to try it as well? O-only it works b-better if we're holding hands in a circle," he added, and risked a glance over at Abe-kun. Almost distantly, Ren noticed that the stutter seemed to be back. Oh well, that was another thing that couldn't be helped. And to his relief, Abe-kun gave the tiniest of nods, and held out his hand to his mother.

That was how the doctor found the four of them, when he came to tell them that they could see Dad now. Sitting in a circle, holding hands, like they were holding a séance or something. All four of them let go at the same time, acting like they'd been caught doing something wrong. But even before the doctor spoke, Takaya noticed something. His hands were warm again. That had all been Mihashi's doing, hadn't it. All that warmth.

Mom finally started crying, probably from relief. Shun was already out the door, eager to see for himself that Dad was okay. "Shun-chan, wait," Mom was saying, running after him.

Takaya got up to follow his brother, but he turned to Mihashi first. What would he even have done, if Mihashi hadn't been there? "Ren," he said, noticing how his own voice sounded almost normal now. "Thanks."

"Of course," Mihashi replied, and his smile was as warm as his hand had been. "I-I'm going to c-call my parents," he said, and as much as Takaya would have liked Mihashi to come along, he realised he didn't need him to. Not now. So he just nodded in response, and left to follow Mom and Shun.

Dad was awake, sort of. He was really groggy, but he seemed to recognise Mom and Shun okay. So Takaya hung back by the door, in case Dad recognised him, too. This was enough. Just to see that Dad was alive. Sure, he was hooked up to all sorts of machines, and he looked awful. Grey and washed-out, his face shiny with sweat, his eyes shiny with whatever drugs they'd pumped into him. But he was well enough to hold Mom's hand, and muss Shun's hair. So he really was going to be okay, then. Takaya forced himself to turn away. This was enough, because it had to be.

"Takaya?" Dad's voice was nowhere near its usual volume. But Takaya could hear him just fine. He turned around, biting down hard on his bottom lip, bracing himself.

"Yes," Takaya said. He wasn't going to cry, no way.

"Come over here, okay?" Dad sounded so frail, and so old, that Takaya had crossed the floor before he even realised that he was moving. Dad was holding his hand out, and it was shaking. "Takaya," he said, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Takaya said, and he was crying after all, but that didn't matter now. "I'm sorry I'm not normal!"

"Come here," Dad said, and put an arm around Takaya's shoulders, wires and all. Pulling him close.

Mom and Dad arrived at the hospital together, both of them still in their work clothes. Ren had been texting with Dad while Mom drove, giving them directions for the hospital, so they found him right away.

"I'm proud of you, Ren," Dad said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I am, too," Mom said, planting a quick kiss on Ren's forehead.

There wasn't a lot of time to talk before Abe-kun's family came back inside, but by then, they had decided that Mom would drive Abe-san and Shun home. Meanwhile, Dad would take Abe-kun and Ren back, then drive over to Abe-kun's house to pick up Mom.

When Dad pulled out of the hospital parking lot, taking them out on the main road, there were hardly any cars out. Like the world was empty, apart from their two cars. It was really late now, almost midnight.

"Takaya-kun," Dad said abruptly, making Abe-kun sit up straight. "It seems you managed to talk things out with your father?"

"Yes. I think so," Abe-kun replied, though he looked a lot less certain about that than Ren would have liked. "He asked me if I would go back home, so…" He shrugged, like he still couldn't believe it was true.

Ren reached across to the middle of the back seat. Put his hand down there, palm up. An invitation, in case Abe-kun should need it. With a sigh, Abe-kun placed his hand on top of Ren's and gave it a gentle squeeze. Like he was saying thanks.

"I'm glad to hear that, Takaya-kun," Dad said, and in the rear-view mirror, Ren could see that he was smiling. "You know," he said, "My father and I were in a stupid feud for over ten years. All because our family's rich, and he'd wanted me to marry someone more fancy."

"Mom's not fancy at all," Ren shot in proudly, "She can fix the car! And this one time, we put out glue-traps and a mouse got caught on one of them. And then Mom beat it to death with a plank!"

It worked. Abe-kun snorted, then quickly tried to hide it. But Ren had seen him, and it made him feel a lot better.

"Ren, come on," Dad was saying, but he sounded fond, not angry. "It's true, Ren's mother is a lot tougher than I am. But then, she lost her parents when she was young, so she got used to fending for herself. I remember my father said he didn't want me marrying a woman who lived alone. And I was shouting back at him, how can she help that, when her family are all dead?"

Dad laughed a little, shaking his head. Ren had heard this story a hundred times already, but Abe-kun was looking kind of horrified.

"So then we decided to elope," Dad went on, "And my parents cut off all contact. Ten years is a long time to carry a grudge. I'm not cut out for that stuff! I was so glad when it was all over."

Ren looked over at Abe-kun and smiled. In that moment, he loved his parents so much that he felt like his chest might burst. The only reason Mom had killed that mouse, was because Dad didn't have the heart to. Because Dad was too kind, and because Mom loved Dad so much.

"Yes," Abe-kun said, nodding. "Two days felt like long enough," he added, looking over at Ren with a lop-sided grin on his face.

When Dad dropped them off at home, Ren made them a sandwich each, topped with pretty much everything in the fridge. Ham, sliced cheese and lettuce, prawn salad, olives and half a tomato, held together with a second slice of bread. They ate sitting opposite one another, holding hands under the table. It was hard, eating with one hand, the fillings went everywhere. But this late at night, everything became funny, so that was okay. Holding hands seemed to help, so they did it while they brushed their teeth, too. Abe-kun was weirdly good at brushing with his left hand, but he only shrugged when Ren told him so.

By the time Mom and Dad had come back, they were already in bed – Abe-kun on the futon, lying on his back, Ren on the bed. Lying on his stomach, he dangled his left hand over the edge of the mattress. Abe-kun took it, closed his eyes, and fell asleep almost immediately. Ren just stayed like that; he didn't mind sleeping on his stomach. Pulling his hand back right now seemed too risky, in case it woke Abe-kun up. And besides, watching Abe-kun sleep so peacefully, after everything that had happened… It just felt like a reward.

"Takaya," Ren said quietly. Suddenly, it didn't stick in his throat at all. And Abe-kun – no, Takaya – just slept on, completely oblivious.

Mihashi's mom woke them both up at eight. This was luxuriously late for a Saturday, if you were on the baseball team. "I've made breakfast," she said, hiding a yawn behind her hand, "And I've called Momoe-san, to tell her why Ren will be running late for practice. And you, Takaya-kun," Mihashi's mom came over to perch on the end of Ren's bed, "Have been officially excused from today's practice, so you can go visit your father at the hospital. Though Momoe-san did say you're welcome to join the team for afternoon practice, if you feel like it."

"I definitely will," Takaya told her, nodding firmly – or as firmly as he could, when he'd just woken up and his eyes were still partially glued shut. "Thank you so much, Mihashi-san."

"That's fine," Mihashi's mom said, waving his thanks away. "Just come eat while it's still hot, all right? Get dressed afterwards!"

"Mm," Mihashi said, still half asleep, butting his head against his mom's shoulder. Mihashi's mom responded by rubbing a hand through his hair, and weirdly, that seemed to wake him up a little. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and yawned, and it reminded Takaya of those videos of baby animals they sometimes showed on TV. Of lion cubs yawning, with their fur all bushy, and all their pointy little teeth on display.

Mihashi's mom had left the room now, and they could hear her walking down the stairs. Now was his chance. Before he could lose his nerve completely, Takaya said, "You never asked me yesterday. Who it is I like."

Mihashi gave a very familiar kind of twitch. "I-it's Ha-Haruna-san, right?"

 _Haruna?!_ Takaya laughed until his stomach hurt.

Mihashi, looking a little miffed, said, "But you told us it was someone older! And Haruna-san is…"

He shouldn't do this. Breakfast would get cold, not to mention things might get weird between them, but … If he didn't say this now, Takaya wasn't sure he'd ever have the nerve to say it. "Seven months…" He got up on his knees, leaned in closer towards Mihashi. Towards Ren. "That's like a hundred years." Takaya slipped his hand around the back of Ren's neck. Pulled Ren's head down, tilted his own chin up.

Ren's eyes widened, but he didn't pull away at all. He just looked at Takaya, right into his eyes, like he was seeing him for the first time.

Finally, Takaya pulled away. "I'm sorry," he whispered, but he couldn't help but smile. "Your first kiss… I stole it."

Ren still didn't say anything, but he slowly brought his hand up, touched his fingertips to his lips. Like he couldn't even believe what had just happened.

Guilt shot through Takaya then, and he snapped his head around. Ren had taken care of him when he didn't have anyone else, and how had Takaya gone and repaid him? By doing what _he'd_ wanted, like he always did. Forever forcing Ren to do what he wanted, never asking; always taking. No wonder Ren hadn't been able to think of them as friends.

"L-let's g-go…"

Takaya turned around, to see that Ren had stood up. That he was still looking confused, but also holding his hand out. Hardly able to believe it, Takaya reached out, pressing his palm against Ren's palm. Ren closed his eyes, drew a deep breath. Then he opened his eyes again.

"Let's go have breakfast," he said, not stuttering at all. "All right – Takaya?"


End file.
